Currently, self-propelled cotton picking machines typically include several picker row units or harvesting units which are driven by the machine through a cotton field for harvesting cotton from the cotton plants. Essentially, the cotton is removed from the plants by rotating spindles of the row units, and the cotton is removed from the individual spindles by devices known as doffers. After removal, the cotton is carried from the row units by continuous individual flows of air through ducts into a receiver or container such as a basket located on the cotton picker. The individual flows of air must be adequately strong to carry the cotton several feet upwardly to the basket and then blow the cotton into the basket.
Typically, the cotton picker includes at least one fan or blower for generating several of the individual air flows to the picker row units and from there to the receiver or container. For instance, cotton pickers currently made by Case LLC typically include two radial fans driven by belts connected to a rotating output of the engine for this purpose. The fans are mounted within the chassis of the machine in front of the engine, and each is typically connected to two or more picker row units. In turn, each row unit typically includes one or two picking apparatus. Thus, for a picker including four row units each having two sets of picking apparatus, eight individual air flows and ducts for delivering the air flows to the respective picking apparatus, and eight ducts for carrying the airborne picked cotton from the picking apparatus to the basket, are typically used. This arrangement has worked well for pickers including four or five row units. A disadvantage that has been anticipated, however, is that when additional row units are contemplated, for instance, six or more units including two sets of picking apparatus each, the currently used fans would have to be operated at speeds above those desired to provide the required air flows, which would be expected to result in lower reliability and shortened life of the fans and their drives. Also, due to the location of the fans within the chassis of the machine, they are more difficult than desirable to access for inspection, maintenance and service, such that, the lower reliability would result in longer downtimes for service. Still further, it is anticipated that using one fan to provide air flows to three or more picking apparatus could result in uneven or less than desirable air flow to one or more of the apparatus.
Thus, what is sought is a fan assembly for a cotton picking machine which overcomes many of the disadvantages and shortcomings set forth above.